Ming Dynasty: He was ordered to give lectures in prison, but Lao Zhu eavesdropped and made people nu

Chapter 715 Courtroom Clash
Inside the Golden Palace, morning light streamed obliquely through the carved window lattices, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone floor. Zhu Yuanzhang sat upright on the dragon throne, calmly reviewing the governance plan presented by the Ministry of Revenue. Lin Che stood at the front of the civil officials' line, his gaze fixed on the huge map of the Jinan region in the center of the hall, his brows unconsciously furrowing.

"My esteemed ministers," Zhu Yuanzhang said, closing the memorial and his voice echoing in the hall, "I have reviewed the Ministry of Revenue's proposed plan for the management of saline-alkali land. Minister Jia, please explain in detail."

Jia She, his round belly protruding, stepped out of the ranks, a confident smile plastered on his face. He bowed deeply to the emperor, and as he turned to face the assembled officials, his chin unconsciously rose a few notches.

"Your Majesty," Jia She said, pointing to the map, "after more than a month of discussion between the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works, we believe that the primary approach to managing the saline-alkali land south of Tianjin should be 'blocking'." He continued, "First, we will build dikes along the edges of the saline-alkali areas to prevent salt from seeping in; second, we will dig deep wells to extract groundwater for irrigation; and finally, we will widely apply lime to neutralize the soil's alkalinity."

A chorus of praise rang out in the court. Several senior officials nodded repeatedly, and the Minister of Works even clapped his hands in admiration. Lin Che, however, stared at the saline-alkali area circled in red on the map, his fingers tightening slightly inside his sleeve.

"Your Majesty," Jia She said smugly, surveying the assembled officials, "this method is simple and easy to implement, requiring no more than three thousand taels of silver, and its effects will be seen within a year."

Zhu Yuanzhang stroked his beard thoughtfully: "What do you all think, my dear ministers?"

"I second that proposal!"

"Minister Jia is a wise and experienced strategist who plans for the country!"

"This method is brilliant!"

Praises rose and fell. Lin Che took a deep breath and stepped forward. His blue official robe looked exceptionally simple in the morning light, contrasting sharply with the embroidered court robes around him.

"Your Majesty, I have an objection."

The hall fell silent instantly. All eyes were fixed on the young imperial advisor. Jia She's smile froze, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes.

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyelids slightly: "Minister Lin, please speak."

Lin Che walked to the map and lightly pointed to the Jinan region: "Minister Jia's plan seems reasonable, but it's actually flawed. Building dikes to block the salt will only cause salt to accumulate internally; drawing water from deep wells will accelerate groundwater evaporation, exacerbating salinization; as for applying lime—" He paused, his voice clear as a chime, "adding alkaline substances to alkaline soil is like adding fuel to the fire."

An uproar erupted in the court. Jia She's face flushed crimson, his chest heaving violently beneath his loose court robes.

"Absurd!" Jia She shouted angrily. "Is the Imperial Advisor negating the month's worth of hard work by the six ministries?"

Lin Che remained unmoved and turned to Zhu Yuanzhang: "Your Majesty, this is nothing more than empty talk."

These words were like cold water poured on boiling oil. The court erupted into chaos and anger, with officials rising to criticize the Grand Preceptor Lin Che's attitude. They felt that their painstaking efforts to develop a plan for managing the saline-alkali land of Jinnan had been utterly destroyed by Lin Che's single rejection.

"Grand Preceptor, what do you mean by this? This plan was the result of our collective wisdom and efforts. How can you reject it so easily?" Minister of Works Li Yan slammed his fist on the table and stood up, his white beard trembling with anger.

“Yes! Imperial Preceptor, don’t you support our efforts?” Several young censors also stood up, their faces filled with indignation.

Seeing this, Jia She added fuel to the fire: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Preceptor is arrogant and disdainful of others; this trend must not be allowed to continue!"

A chorus of voices rose from the assembled officials, their anger and discontent filling the hall. Lin Che, however, remained calm. He surveyed the assembled officials with composure, and only spoke after the commotion subsided: "Gentlemen," he said, "while this plan was reached through your discussions, I believe it is not perfect. Managing saline-alkali land is a formidable task, and we cannot afford to be careless."

"What brilliant ideas does the Imperial Advisor have?" Jia She asked sarcastically, his eyes flashing with provocation.

Lin Che calmly took out a scroll of blueprints from his sleeve and unfolded it before the emperor: "I propose a four-step method: 'drainage, washing, modification, and planting.' First, dig drainage ditches to lower the water table; second, irrigate with clean water to wash away soil salinity; then apply farmyard manure and green manure to improve soil structure; finally, select salt-tolerant crops for rotation." Zhu Yuanzhang leaned forward slightly, carefully examining the blueprints. They were densely marked with the directions of the ditches, irrigation routes, and the rotation sequence of different crops, clearly indicating meticulous design.

"How much silver will this method cost? How long will it take?" the emperor asked.

"The initial estimate is that it will require eight thousand taels of silver, and the results will be visible in three years," Lin Che answered truthfully.

"Eight thousand taels?!" Jia She exclaimed dramatically. "Is the Imperial Advisor trying to empty the national treasury?"

A stir broke out in the court once more. Several ministers in charge of finance looked troubled and whispered among themselves. Lin Che, however, remained calm: "Minister Jia, the Jinan region has suffered from poor harvests for years, and the court already reduces taxes by more than eight thousand taels annually. A short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one."

"Nonsense!" Jia She interrupted sharply, "How dare you speak recklessly about national policy before His Majesty?"

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned slightly, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest of the dragon throne. Lin Che noticed this detail, knowing the emperor was weighing the pros and cons. He decided to add fuel to the fire.

"Your Majesty, I request to show you something." Having received permission, Lin Che took out a cloth bag from his robes. Inside were two wheat seedlings. "The one on the left grew from the saline-alkali land of Jinnan, while the one on the right grew from normal soil. Please observe the difference."

The two wheat seedlings were a stark contrast: the one on the left was short and yellow with sparse roots; the one on the right was lush and upright with dense roots. The courtiers couldn't help but gather around to take a closer look, and some exclaimed in amazement.

Jia She, however, dismissed the matter: "What can two mere wheat seedlings prove? The Imperial Advisor is making a mountain out of a molehill."

"Minister Jia," Lin Che said, looking directly at him, "this is a glimpse into the future. Ten thousand acres of fertile land south of the city are now yielding less than thirty percent of their produce, causing countless people to be displaced. If this isn't addressed promptly, it could lead to a major disaster."

"Emphasis on alarmism!" Jia She scoffed, flicking his sleeve. "Our Great Ming Dynasty is vast; what is this mere land of Jinan worth mentioning?"

A sharp glint flashed in Lin Che's eyes: "Minister Jia, you are mistaken. Food is the paramount necessity of the people, and agriculture is the foundation of the nation. If we allow this to continue in Jinan today, it could spread to the entire North China Plain tomorrow. At that time—"

"Enough!" Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly spoke, and the court fell silent instantly. "You two ministers each hold their own opinions; I need to investigate on-site before making a decision."

Jia She's expression changed: "Your Majesty's body is of inestimable value; how can you lightly venture into the wilderness?"

Lin Che bowed deeply: "Your Majesty is wise. On-site investigation is the best way to distinguish right from wrong."

Zhu Yuanzhang stood up, the gold thread on his court robes gleaming in the sunlight: "Three days from now, I will personally travel to Jinan. Court adjourned!"

As the eunuch's shrill announcement of "Dismissal!" rang out, the assembled officials knelt in respectful farewell. Lin Che was about to rise when Jia She stopped him. The Vice Minister of Revenue forced a smile onto his fat face: "The Imperial Advisor has quite the shrewdness; even His Majesty has been swayed by you."

Lin Che calmly straightened his sleeves: "Minister Jia, you flatter me. For the sake of the country and its people, what need is there for talk of methods?"

"Hmph!" Jia She lowered his voice, a glint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. "Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have His Majesty's backing. The matter of Jinan is not that simple!"

Lin Che watched Jia She's indignant departure, his brows furrowed slightly. He vaguely sensed that there seemed to be more to this debate about saline-alkali land than met the eye.

(End of this chapter)